FIND TOOLS

Facebook Live

A powerful way to connect with your audience or followers in real time.

Go Live Now

Go live on Facebook to broadcast a conversation, performance, Q&A or virtual event. Learn how to make personal connections and create shared experiences with Facebook Live.

Authentic, immediate

Connect with your audience in real time from any device and in any location.

Interactive, social

Bring your audience behind the scenes and respond to their questions.

Grow, connect

Create shared experiences with your fans.

Requirements

You can live stream to your Page, group, profile, or event via the Facebook app on your mobile device or by using a camera and streaming software (also referred to as an encoder). If you wish to live stream using a camera and an encoder, you’ll need to broadcast using Live Producer.

How to go live on Facebook using a phone

Broadcast to your Page, group, profile, or event from anywhere in the world using the Facebook app or the Creator Studio app (both available on iOS and Android).

From the Facebook app:

  1. Navigate to the Page, group, profile or event where you want to publish your live stream.

  2. Tap the Live button at the bottom of the post composer.

  3. Add a description to your video. You can also tag friends, check in to a location, and add a feeling or activity.

  4. Tap Start Live Video.

  5. Tap Finish when you want to end your broadcast.

Take advantage of live broadcasting

Find more information on Live Streaming Best Practices here.

From the Creator Studio app:

  1. Open the Creator Studio app

  2. Click the pen and paper icon in the top right corner of the Home or Posts tab

  3. Select the "Live" post option

  4. Add a description to your video. You can also tag friends, check in to a location, and add a feeling or activity.

  5. Tap Start Live Video.

  6. Tap Finish when you want to end your broadcast.

How to go live on Facebook from a computer

When going live from a laptop or desktop computer, you’ll automatically be directed to Live Producer, which is also how you can go live on Facebook using higher-end production equipment and streaming software.

  1. At the top of your News Feed, click What’s on your mind, [Your Name]?

  2. Click the three dots icon then click Live Video and you will automatically be redirected to Live Producer.

  3. Write a description for your live video.

  4. Click Go Live in the bottom left.

Live Interactive Tools

With live interactive tools, you can drive meaningful communication with your audience and have more control over how you engage with your fans. This includes live polls, featured links, live in Stories, live comment moderation, front row, badges and more.

With live polls, effortlessly build polls before a broadcast begins and share them to fans during the broadcast. Receive real time feedback from your audience on important topics and understand what they would like to see next.

With featured links, share multiple third party links to sites you care about during your live broadcast.

With Live in Stories, you can share your live broadcasts directly to Facebook Stories as another way to maximize the reach of your content with your audience.

With live comment moderation, you can manage the conversation around your content. You can also designate a specific viewer to moderate comments on your behalf. Learn more here.

Front row highlights your top fans in a special section of your live broadcast. Front row gives you a chance to see who your most loyal fans are so you can give them a shout out during your live.

Badges help you understand how much your fans are engaging with your content and help your fans feel valued. Fans can earn different badges a number of ways, including sending Stars and tuning into live broadcasts.

Utilize a streaming software

With Live Producer, you have the option to go live using a camera and streaming software, also referred to as encoding software or an encoder. The encoder that's best for you may depend on the type of content you plan to stream. There are several programs to choose from, including free open-source software. Learn more about encoding software options and going live with streaming software.

Use Live Producer

Once you have your encoding software and camera installed, you’re ready to go live using Live Producer.

Learn more about going live

Learn more about how to use Live Producer here. If you’re planning a larger virtual event or show, we also recommend checking out this advanced Facebook Live guide.

FUNDRAISING

How to raise money for a cause

Qualified Pages can add a Donate button to their live videos by using the Facebook app on mobile or Live Producer on a computer.

This allows you to raise money during a live video for a nonprofit or charitable organization, including your own. Nonprofits using Facebook’s payment platform to process donations pay no fee — 100% of the donations go to the charity.

*Donations are not available in all markets; check whether fundraising is available in your country or region.

Learn how to add a Donate button to a mobile broadcast.

Sign up for charitable giving tools

How to bring guests into your broadcast

Live With

Live With is a co-broadcasting feature that lets you invite multiple guests into your mobile live broadcast. Live With provides a streamlined experience for going live that makes it easy to invite guests and create different types of live broadcasts.

As the host, you can select multiple guests to go live with during a mobile broadcast from your Page or profile (Live With is not available on desktop or in Live Producer at this time).

Broadcasting to Facebook Live from Messenger Rooms

This Messenger Rooms feature allows you to turn your room into a co-hosted Facebook Live. You can easily go live with up to 50 people to a Facebook Profile, Page, or Group you manage.

Whether you’re hosting a book club, interviewing a panel of experts, teaching a fitness class, or broadcasting with your friends for fun, going live from a room makes it easy to have more interactive broadcasts with audiences of any size.

If you’re using Live Producer, you can bring guests into your broadcast by using platforms like Be.Live, Stage Ten and easylive.io.

Find the partner that is right for you. Video conferencing software providers such as Zoom and BlueJeans also allow you to broadcast live to Facebook with multiple participants.

Learn more about broadcasting Live to Facebook using Zoom and BlueJeans, or ask your video conferencing provider if they support this functionality.

Here are some things to keep in mind before, during and after your stream on Facebook Live.

Grow and monetize with Facebook Live

To better support our partners, we’re improving the tools that help creators earn money and manage their presence on Facebook. We’re expanding access to fan support products, such as Fan Subscriptions and Stars, as well as offering new ways to monetize video content, including ads in short-form video, ads for live video and new ad experiences. You can learn more here.

Scheduling a Live Video Broadcast

If you’re using a connected camera and encoder, you can schedule a live stream up to one week in advance in Live Producer. If possible, we recommend scheduling live broadcasts ahead of time to make your audience aware of upcoming broadcasts and to more easily connect when your stream begins. Learn more about scheduling a live broadcast.

Learn to use Facebook Live

Live Monetization

Join us to discover how to take your livestreams to the next level and the monetisation options we have available for your live content.

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